Villagers who recently lost their last shop have had their misery compounded by the announcement that Stagecoach is withdrawing a “lifeline” bus service.
Roughly 930 residents in Garmouth and Kingston are stranded six miles away from the nearest grocery store, and will soon be unable to reach it by bus.
Stagecoach announced that the 34 service, which operates between the communities and Elgin, will cease in April.
Moray Council will “urgently” examine ways to replace the bus – but said its own “extreme financial pressures” could prove a stumbling block.
Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor Douglas Ross described the service as a “lifeline” for villagers without their own means of transport.
He said: “I’m very concerned about the impact this will have.
“The 34 service is off-peak, but it was one people relied on to attend medical appointments or do their shopping.
“This will be a loss felt quite strongly by a number of people in the community.”
Mr Ross said he will consult with council officers on how to replace the service.
He added: “We will look at forming a business case to help us weigh up our options.
“We need to provide people with a way of getting from Garmouth and Kingston.”
The 34 service currently travels from Kingston to Elgin, via stops in Urquhart and Lhanbryde.
Stagecoach said the route was so unpopular that the firm was left with “no option” but to axe it.
A spokeswoman said: “The service will be completely withdrawn, excluding the school buses.
“For two years now, service 34 has been operating at a loss due to extremely low passenger use.
“Due to the current challenging climate in the region, we have no other option but to restructure our timetables.”
A Moray Council spokesman said: “The council has been advised by Stagecoach that the number 34 service for Garmouth, Kingston and Urquhart is being withdrawn as it is not commercially viable.
“The council has no influence over these decisions, but officers are urgently looking at options to replace the service in some form.
“However, any solution will have to be considered in the context of the extreme financial pressures the council is under.”
On Sunday, Garmouth’s final grocery store closed its door for the last time, leaving residents miles from their nearest shop in Lhanbryde.